Fresh Point Cafe suffers at least 8 break-ins in 18 months, with CCTV showing kids raiding venue
Video shows nearly a dozen youths swarming over the counter of a popular Palmerston cafe, causing over $6000 in damage in what has been its eighth break-in since early 2020.
Northern Territory
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A BRAZEN group of nearly a dozen kids have broken into a Palmerston cafe and allegedly made off with alcohol, cash and an iPad.
It’s the second time Fresh Point Cafe at Bellamack has been broken into in just two weeks, with damages totalling $6000.
The cafe’s manager Mandeep Kaur said this was the eighth or ninth time the venue had been invaded by thieves in the last 18 months.
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“The government should do something,” Ms Kaur said.
“We had the police camera in the car park, and for one month it was okay.”
“As soon as they took it away, it happened again.”
Repeated installations of mobile police cameras had kept would-be criminals at bay, but they would inevitably return once the trailers were moved.
CCTV footage showed a group of at least six youths jumping and swarming the front counter of Fresh Point and scouring fridges in the early hours of Monday morning.
They can then be seen moving into the kitchen of the popular cafe.
Ms Kaur said the kids shattered the front glass door to Fresh Point to gain entry.
They have previously also broken in through the back door.
“It’s really frustrating for us,” Ms Kaur said.
“When we came in, there was broken glass everywhere.”
Her business was further affected because they couldn’t restock alcohol supplies for later in the day, and were thus couldn’t serve cocktails to customers.
“They got alcohol, all the hard drinks which were hidden already, and around $300 till money.”
“And there was $150 in the tip jar, and an iPad.”
Thieves had previously targeted Fresh Point Bellamack on Saturday last week.
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